Yarn carrier stop control mechanism for straight knitting machines



Au 17, 1937. M. RICHTER 2,090,599

YARN CARRIER STOP CONTROL MECHANISM FOR STRAIGHT KNITTING MACHINES Filed March 9, 1935 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 O O h INVENTOR.

ug- 7, 1937. M. RICHTER 2,090,599

YARN CARRIER STOP CONTROL MECHANISM FOR STRAIGHT KNITTING MACHINES Filed March 9, 1935 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR: Mari $1 671 751;

ATTORN Aug. 17, 1937. 'M. RICHTER YARN CARRIER STOP CONTROL MECHANISM FOR STRAIGHT KNITTING MACHINES Filed March 9, 1935 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Aug. 17, 1937.

M. RICHTER 2,090,599

YARN CARRIER STOP CONTROL MECHANISM FOR STRAIGHT KNITTING MACHINES Filed March 9, 1955 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIE--51- INVENTOR: jflawjjiamzz B Aug. 17, 1937. R|HTER v 2,090,599

YARN CARRIER STOP CONTROL MECHANISM FOR STRAIGHT KNITTING MACHINES Filed March 9, 1935 e Sheets-Sheet 5 F .T. E3=*-7.-.

hjzy 27K 70 fl L 55 {152 1% I i- I '5 1 ,2 15 T 1 j 7 INVENTOR:

BY Z, E W ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 17, 1937 T OFFICE YARN CARRIER STOP CONTROL CHA- NISM FOB STRAIGHT KNITTING MA- CHINES Max Richter, West Reading, Pa., assignor to Textile Machine Works, Wyomissing, l'a., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application March 9, 1935, Serial No. M169 7 Clai.

My invention relates to yarn-carrier stop-control mechanism for knitting machines, and particularly to means for effecting automatic operation of the yarn-carrier stops of straight knit- 5 ting machines.

In a imitting machine of the so-called straigh or fiat type, as in a machine for knitting full-fashioned stocking blanks, the yarn is laid to the needles, and other knitting parts, 10 by carriers or fingers, which are mounted on carrier rods for movements of various sequences and distances in accordance with a given pattern of the fabric being knitted, as in effecting narrowing or fashioning stitches.

Stops, for controlling the longitudinal movements of the carrier rods, are ordinarily pivotally mounted on the narrowing head units for .manual operation, consequently requiring a skilled operator to effectively control the machine to ensure a desirable product, or are mounted for operation fromthe cam shaft by means which, by maintaining parts in constant operation, subjects them to excess wear,- requires separate means for transmitting stop-selecting and v 15 stop-actuating movements from the cam shaft to the stops, and has other disadvantages.

Among thenbjects of my invention are to avoid the disadvantages of manual operation of the stops, and to provide a device of improved auto-- 9 30 matic structure and operationtherefor, as in features wherein, the'stops, instead of being pivotally, or rotatably, mounted for movement between operative and inoperative positions, are non-rotatably mounted, a single .connection is 35 provided between the cam shaft and a stop selecting and operating means for effecting both the selecting and operating movements, parts heretofore allowed to operate continuously are replaced by parts which operate only as required,"

a more flexible and effective pattern control is effected, wear of the machine parts is minimized, the number, weight and cost, of parts are. reduced, and other advantages are obtained, as will herein appear. v

Another object of my invention is to provide a device of the above-indicated character, and to render it simple and durable in construction, economical to manufacture and effective in its operation. I

With these and other objects in view, which will be apparent from the following'detailed description of the illustrative embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings. 55 my invention resides in the novel mechanism and means for operating the same, as hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of a full fashioned knitting machine, showing the carrier end stop mechanism in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of the knitting machine, shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view, taken substantially along the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. i is an enlarged plan view of the end stop mechanism constructed in accordance with the invention, taken substantially in the direction of the arrow A of Fig. 3;

Fig.5 is a cross-sectional view, taken substantially along the line 56 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 615 a detail view, taken substantially along the line of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a diagram of the leg blank of a fullfashioned stocking, together with a pair of pattern chains, as developed or opened out along straight lines in side elevation from their normal loop shape, indicating the positions along the blank at which the end stops are operated and the corresponding links of the chains by which such operations are eilected;

Figs. 8 to 15, inclusive, are sequence plan view diagrams of the carrier rods and stops as disposedat positions corresponding to the positions indicated along the blank of Fig. 7;

Figs. 8a to 15a, inclusive, are end views of the corresponding Figures 8 to 15, inclusive; and

Figs.8b to l5b,'incluslve, are views similar to Figs. 8a to 150., of the opposite ends of the devices of Figs. 8 to 15, inclusive.

The figures illustrate various parts of a Reading full-fashioned stocking-knitting machine embodying the mechanism and elements of my invention, in which, for clearness, only those parts of the various mechanisms necessary for an understanding of the invention are illustrated;-

the other parts and mechanisms, and the opera tion thereof, being well known in the art, as

shown and described in the "Reading Full Fashioned Knitting Machine Catalogue, copyright 1929, and published by the Textile Machine Works, Reading, Pennsylvania.

Referring to the drawings:

Vertical center frames Ill, and end frames i2,

support a longitudinally extendin front rail II. a back rail M, a front bed I! and a center bed ii to constitute a framework or base upon which the ported, as indicated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

A cam shaft ii, rotatably mounted on the frames i0 and it, carries a series of cams, by which the various mechanisms are separately actuated; one series of cams imparting movement to the respective mechanisms to effect the cycle of operations of fabricating the main body of the fabric, and. a second series of cams imparting the motion to said mechanisms to effect the narrowing or fashioning operations.

To axially shift the cam shaft, back and forth between its regular knitting and narowing positions, a chain motion mechanism C is provided to coact with shifting camsIB, at intervals determined by the sequence of buttons l9 carried by a narrowing chain 20.

Narrowing heads N, operated by cams on the cam shaft I], while the latter is in its shifted or narrowing position, operate to progressively decrease the strokes of the carrier rods by an end stop mechanism S, which is carried, and operated, by back spindles 23. Front spindles 24 actuate narrowing rods 25 to produce narrowing stitches.

The narrowing rods 25 are longitudinally slidably mounted in brackets 26, which are suspended from a front narrowing shaft 21. The shaft 21 is maintained parallel to a backnarrowing shaft 7 28, by guide brackets 29, and moved upwardly and downwardly to permit narrowing fingers (not action being transmitted to the shaft 21 throug an intermediate link member 35.

The needles 30' are operated, through usual,

cycles, by needle levers 36 and presserlevers 21,

which receive motion from camson the cam shaft.

The carrier rods, longitudinally mounted in brackets 28 fixed to the center bed l6, are longitudinally reciprocated, by the cam shaft I'I, through intermediate linkage (not shown); this action imparting a corresponding movement to' of slur cams .45 carried by reciprocating cock boxes 46. Y Forward and backward movement of the dividers, and retraction of the sinkers, are ef-- fected by the catch bar 44, throughshifting arms 41 and 46 operated by a cam actuated back catch lever 46. A shaft 56 servesas a carrier for both the arm 46 and the lever 46. Vertical movement is imparted to the catch bar 44 by a front catch shaft 52, and an intermediate linkage, which is controlled by a front catch lever 62.

, Intermittent rotation of a control shaft 64, constituting part of a selector mechanism for controlling the operation of the end-stop mechanisms S, is produced by the structure shown in Fig. 3; operation of the shaft being controlled by buttons 55 on a variable pattern device, or chain, 56 which is carried, and operated, by the chain, motion mechanism C, Fig. 1. positioning, by the chain 56 of one of the but- Operative I 2,090,599 operating parts of the knitting machine are sup-I tons 55, draws a rod 51 to .the left, as viewed in Fig. l, which action imparts a clockwise movement to a support lever 56 that is pivoted to the front rail i3, by a bolt 59. This action moves the support lever 58 from beneath a horizontal arm of a lever 60, pivoted .on a shaft 6|, whereupon a spring 62 causes a cam follower 63, rotatably carried by the lever 60, to'follow the contour of a cam 64.

The cam 64,- by reason of'its contour, racks a ratchet wheel 65 through a distance equal to the pitch of a tooth thereof during each operation, this action imparting a clockwise movement to the control shaft 54 to which the ratchet wheel is fixed, see Fig. 3. Movement of the lever 66, effected by the cam 64, is transmitted, through the ratchet wheel 65, to the control shaft 54, by a pawl 66 carried on a member 61. which is loosely mounted on the control shaft 54, and connected to the lever 60 by a link 66.

The spring 62, attached to the back rail i4 by a hook 69, is also attached to an'extension of the, member 66, thereby acting either, to cause the roller 63 to follow the contour of the cam 64, or to keep the same out of engagement therewith, by. holding a lower portion of the lever 66 in contact with the support lever 56, in accordance with the sequence of the buttons 55 on a variable pattern device or chain 56. Variable pattern devices or end stop chains III and II are oper-- ated in conjunction with the control shaft 54, by wheels I2 carried thereby; the chains being held in operative position relative to the wheels '12, by idler pulleys Il/ Inaccordance with the invention, I provide a unit S, comprising a plurality of slidable end stops I4, carried by each of carrier nuts I6 which are carried, and operated, by the spindles 23 of the narrowing heads N. The slidable stops I4,

, on the left-hand end of the machine, 'as viewed in Fig. 1, in the present instance, control the extent of travel to the left of carrier rods 2, I, 6 and I, but they may be operated to control all of the carriers in preselected order, as desired The travel, of carrier rods I and 4 to the left, is determined by respective stop members I4 which in this case are not lifted; see diagrammatic views of Figs. 8 to 15, inclusive.

The above-mentioned order of operation is reversed during movement ofthe carrier rods I, 2', ,4, 6 and 6 to the right, the strokes of which are terminated by slidable stop members, but these stop members mayal'so be operated to control all of the carriers. The travel of carrier 2 is also controlled by a stop, which in this case is not lifted on the right side. Thus, in the above arrangement, the stops, for the respective carrier rods are carried by the narrowing heads and lifted at the end of the machine corresponding to the end of knitting section at which the carrlers are positioned when out of operation.

The stops 14 are normally held in their respective operative positions by tension springs 11 secured thereto. and to the carrier nut I5. The carrier rods I, 2, l, 4, 6 or 6, moving. to the right, are selectively stopped by stop elements I6 adiustably positioned in lower portions of sliding stop members I4. When the yarn carriers are operating to feedyarn to'the loop forming elements, the strokes of the carrier rods are controlled by the end stops aligned therewith; the carriers being placed out of operation by raising the respective end stops I4 and permitting the carrier rods to pass therebeneath, as illustrated At this time, however, the travel of carrier rod 3,

Hooks Ha are provided, at the upper ends of the slidable stops, to facilitate manual operation thereof; mechanical operation being automatically effected, in accordance with my invention,

5 substantially as illustrated in Figs. 3, 4 and 5.

An axle l9, supported in an upright extension of the carrier nut 15, carriesmotion-transmitting members or levers 80, which are free to oscillate thereon. As shown in Fig. 5, one end of each lever 80 coacts with a shoulder 14b on a corresponding end stop, which is held in yielding engagement with its lever 80, by its spring H; the opposite ends of the levers 8,0 cooperating with buttons .82 carried by a rotatable member at.

5 The member 83 is rotatably mounted in bearings in the upright extension of the carrier nut 15, intermittent rotation thereof being efiected by a pawl 84 pivotally mounted on a bracket 85, which is loosely carried by an extension of the axle of the member 83. The pawl 86 operates the member 83 through a ratchet 86 secured to the member 83. A pin 87, extending from the bracket85, Fig. 4, is held in engagement with a plate 88 by a spring 89, which is anchored to the carrier narrowing nut by a stud 90.

Any operative movements of a lever 92, pivotally supported on a shaft 93 in a bracket 96 attached to the stabilizing bar 85, which are effected by the coaction of high buttons on the 0 chain it! with a roller 96 of the lever 92, will transmit a corresponding oscillatory movement to the pin 8i, and operate the pawl 86 through the plate 68 secured to the lever 92 by bolts 9'1. Reverse movements, of the rotatable member 83, are prevented by a lock dial 98 and an index plate 9s. The dial 98 is secured to the member 83, and the index member 99, held in yielding engagement therewith, is secured to the carrier narrowing nut structure, as illustrated in 0 Figs. 4 and 6.

- As indicated in Figs. 2, 3. 4 and 5, which show the mechanism at the right-hand end of the machine, as viewed in Fig. 1, on which side the fingers 39 on carrier rods i, 3, 4,8 and 8 are placed 5 out of operation, buttons on the member t5, the motion transmitting members 80, and the slidable end stops it, are disposed in line with the respective carrier rods. The buttons 32 are disposed about the member $3 in positions to operate the 0 slidable end stops transversely to the paths of movement of the rods in adesired order.

The links of the control chains 78 and H determine the sequence of operation of the end steps, which limit the travel of the carrier rods 5 i to 8, inclusive, in both directions, or operate in conjunction with various auxiliary stop mechanisms to limit the travel of the carriers during the production of a stocking leg blank. The control chains l0 and ll as indicated in Fig. '7,

from a line i2l, in advance or the first course knitted in the welt, to the course I22 of the heel tabs T, T.

The stocking leg blank L extends from the top edge E28 of the folded welt portion W, to the course E22 of the heel tabs T.- The line we indicates the first course of loops of the welt W in an open state.

Prior to knitting the first course of loops in 0 of the welt W, the control chains l0 and ii are operated for a distance corresponding to the distance I25, which extends from the line iii to the course I24 of the welt W, to raise right and left end stops 14, see Figs. 8, 8a and 8b, which 5 normally control the end movement of carrier 3.

control the action of the end stops of the machine which is used to lay yarn to the welt W, is con trolled by one-of the above mentioned auxiliary stop mechanisms, so that the end stops may be reset from the inner position to the outer position of their travel.

The end stops 14 for carrier rod 3 are maintained in a raised position through a distance I26, which extends from the course I 24 to a course I21, at which latter position the control chains operate to release the right and left stops to limit the travel of carrier rod 3, see Figs. 9, 9a and 9b. The right and left stops for carrier rod 3 are maintained in this position through a distance m, or from the course iZl to'a course 835 where the right. stop i4 is raised through a Figs. and 10b.

At this position, in the production of the leg blank L, one or more carriers are drawn into the knitting field; in the present instance the fingers of carrier rods 9, 2 and 4 of the alternating mechanism are operatively positioned to lay yarn to the needles 30, see Figs. 10, 10a and 10b. The end stops are maintained in this position through a distance Hi, from the line I30 to a line I32, at which latter position right end stops id for carrier rods land 43 are raised, through control chain. W, so as to position the fingers of carrier rods i and t out of the knitting-field, see Figs. 11 and 11b. This position of the end stops is maintained through a distance 933, which extends from the line 832 to a line B34, at which latter position right end stops for carrier rods l and ti are released through the control chain ll), see Figs. 12 and 12b.

The end stops are maintained in this position for a distance corresponding to the distance ESQ, or from the course led to a course ltd, at which latter position the control chain it is again opit to remove the carrier from the knitting field,

see Figs. 14 and 14b. As indicated in Figs. 7, 14 and 1441, the stop for carrier rod 5 is raised, by operation of control chain W. This is the first movement of the stops controlled by chain ii, for a distance corresponding to a distance I42 which extends from the course i2? to a course I43. The and stops are held inoperative through a distance corresponding to the distance 0, which extends from the course 538 to the course I22 where the right end stops for carrier rods t and it are raised to remove the carriers to an inoperative position upon operation of the control chain it, see Figs. 15 and 15b. The control chain ii is operated to raise end stops for carrier rods 2 and l, to permit removal of the carriers from the knitting field after operating through a distance ids, which extends from the course 3 to the course B22 01 the stocking blank, see Figs. 15 and 55a.

The stops it are raised to lay out the carriers, by means of the levers 86, and are released during the next movement of the drum 82, whereupon the levers affected drop upon supporting members it. levers 80, and the stops therefor from dropping too far as the carrier rods are drawn from beneath the stops.

It will beunderstood, that only those stops,

necessary for the removal of a carrier, are raised and that normally the stops are in an operative position, or rest upon the rods of the carriers which are laid out of the knitting field, so that.

' as the carriers are drawn into the knitting field,

the end stops which are controlled thereby, thus permitting selective operation of the slidable end stops 14 on the right and left sides independently of each other.

The plate 88 is of sufllcient length to remain in contact with the pin 81 irrespective of the extent of travel of the carrier narrowing nut, as

20 ordinarily occasioned during the narrowing process. I

The buttons 82 are interchangeable, about the rotatable member 83, to provide flexible means for operating the slidable end stops, in accord- 25 ance with any predetermined order.

In the above-described structure, the cam 64 and the cam shaft l1, being at the lower front portion of the machine, are located a substantial distance from the parts controlled and actuated 30 thereby at the upper rear part of the machine,

40 porting lever 67.

member 83, and associated parts.

the latter parts being the chains 10 and H and their associated elements for selecting the sequence of operation of the non-rotative stops It and the members 83 having the buttons 82 thereon 35 locally associated with the stops 14 for actuating the same, as selected by the chains.

A single means or linkage including the link 68, the cam follower 63 and the lever 60, is connected, at its upper rear end, to the pawl sup- By this arrangement are obtained both the stop-selecting movements of the chains 10 and ii, and the non-rotative stopactuating movements which are translated from the rotative movement of the cam shaft by the The abovementioned single linkage is operatively connected, adjacent to its lower front end, to the cam H, by the follower 63, to receive its actuating movement from the cam shaft, and to the chain 50 56, by the lever 60, the lever 58 and the buttons 55,'whereby such actuating movement, translating the rotative movement of the cam shaft into the non-rotativ'e movement of the stops, is controlled in accordance with a given pattern.

By adding links to the chains Ill and H, withdraw ng them from the chains, or varying their length. shape or height, and by similarly varying the buttons 55 of the chain 56, a wide selection of operation of the stops H may be effected, without the necessity of carrying in stock a number of expensive fixed-pattern cams to take the place of the chains 10 and It. Also. since the above-mentioned single means, or linkage, represented by the link 68, the cam follower 53 and c the lever 60, is only intermittently operated, and

has no part which is constantly moving, substantially minimum operation and wear of the parts .are ensured.

Other features of the invention contributing to long life of the partaensuring efiective operation and design, and providing further advantages, include the feature wherein the fol which a follower frictionally engages a cam-like member entirely about its periphery; the feature wherein the lever 58 at times prevents the imposition on the cam 64 of the force 01' the spring 62 and the friction of the follower 63, and the arrangement whereby the cam 64 and the fol-- lower 63 are moved relatively between operative and inoperative positions with respect to each other, to prevent the wear accompanying constant engagement of such parts.

The improvements specifically shown and. described, by which the above-described results are obtained, can be modified in various ways, withing between said rotatably-mounted means and the pattern device for actuating therotatablymounted means to efi'ect the longitudinal movement of the stops.

2. In a straight knitting machine, carrier rods, a pattern device, a'stop support, elongated stops for the carrier rods longitudinally 'movably mounted on the support, means including members movably mounted on the support cooperating with the'stops forlongitudinally moving the stops transversely to the rods between active and inactive position relative to the carrier rods, means rotatably mounted on the support for detachably receiving actuating elements provided at least one each for any selected number of said movably mounted members and each for mounting at any one of a plurality of positions for actuating said movably mounted members to longitudinally move the stops, and means operating between said'rotatablymounted means and the pattern device for actuating the rotatablymounted means to effect the longitudinal move-v ment of the stops.

3. In a straight knitting machine, carrier rods, a pattern device, a stop support, stops for the carrier rods movably mounted on the support, means including levers pivoted on the support about axes transverse to the rods cooperating with the stops for moving the same between operative and inoperative positions relative to the carried rods, means rotatably mounted on the support for detachably receiving actuating elements provided at least one each for any selected number of said levers and each for mounting at any one of a plurality 01' positions for actuating the levers, and means operating between said rotatably-mounted means and the pattern device for actuating the rotatablymounted means.

4. In a straight knitting machine, carrier rods, a narrowing carriage, a pattern device, a bracket on the narrowing carriage, stops for the carrier rods mounted on the bracket, means including levers extending in the direction of the rods pivoted on the bracket cooperating with the stops for moving the same between operative and inoperative positions relative to the rods, means rotatably mounted on the bracket for detachably receiving actuating elements provided at least one each for any selected number of said levers and each for mounting atany one of a plurality of positions for engaging the corresponding lever, and means operating between said rotatablymounted meansand the pattern device for actuating the rotatably-mounted means.

5 In a straight knitting machine, carrier rods, a narrowing carriage, a pattern device, a bracket on the narrowing carriage, elongated stops for the carrier rods longitudinally slidably mounted on the bracket transversely to the rods, means including levers pivoted about axes transverse to the rods'on the bracket cooperating with the stops for moving the stops between operative and inoperative positions relative to the carrier rods, a drum rotatably mounted on the bracket having portions for detachably receiving buttons provided at least one each for any selected number of said levers and each for mounting at any one of a plurality of positions for actuating said levers, a ratchet wheel secured to the drum, a.

pawl for the ratchet, and means operating between the pattern device and the pawl for actu-' a narrowing carriage, a cam shaft, a pattern device, a bracket on the narrowing'carriage, elongated stops for the carrier rods longitudinally slidably mounted on the bracket transversely to the rods, the brackets having a slideway for re ceiving ends of the rods beyond the stops, rod contact members adjustably mounted on the front sides of the stops, levers of equal lengths pivoted on the bracket each having an arm cooperating with the rear side of the corresponding stop for raising and lowering the stop, a drum and each for mounting at any one of a plurality of positions for engaging another arm of the corresponding lever, a ratchet wheel secured to the drum, a pawl for the ratchet, and a lever pivoted between the pawl and the pattern device having a follower for the pattern device and adapted to actuate the pawl.

. '7. In a straight knitting machine, carrier rods, a narrowing carriage, a pattern device including a variable-link pattern chain, a bracket on the narrowing carriage, elongated carrier-rod stops above the carrier rods longitudinally slidably mounted on the bracket transversely tothe rods, the bracket having a slideway for receiving ends of the rods beyond the stops, tension springs provided one connected between each stop and the bracket biasing the stop downwardly toward the corresponding carrier rod, rod contact members adjustably mounted on the front sides of the stops, shoulders on the rear sides of the stops, interchangeable levers pivoted on the bracket each having an arm cooperating with one of said shoulders for raising and lowering the associated stop, adjustable means for limiting the downward movement of the shoulder-engaging lever arms, a drum rotatably mounted on the bracket having portions for detachably receiving buttons provided at least one each for any selected number of stops and each for mounting at any one of a plurality of positions for engaging the other arm of the associated lever, a ratchet wheel secured to the drum, a pawl for the ratchet, a lever pivoted'between the pawl and the chain having a follower for the chain and adapted to actuate the pawl to rotate the drum in one direction, and means for preventing reverse rotation of the drum.

MAX RICHTER. 

